What my Mama Said – How to Maintain a Positive Mental Attitude

Sitting here, on a Saturday afternoon as I listen to this playlist by Lukas Graham, “Mama Said” came on. Mothers are so precious, aren’t they?

“When mama said that is was O.K. Mama said that it was quite alright”

One thing I learnt from my mum is to never complain, but rather be grateful for everything you have. Granted, we all have different battles, different journeys and different challenges to face. Yet, these messages my mother taught me remains as applicable for me as for you

To never tolerate negativity

To always embrace change with open arms

To be thankful in all circumstances

To have a strong work ethic

To be kind and compassionate to those less fortunate than us

Negativity is like a virus in life. Personally, I believe that the more you tolerate it, the more it grows up and dwells in your life like a dark, gloomy weed in a former bright and sunny conservatory.

By allowing it to sit there with you, you are accepting it. If you want more of the same, keep doing the same things and the results won’t differ. No, instead seek positivity.

Spend time with uplifting people

Keep your living space organised (I struggle with this more than most)

Make dreams, goals and plans and pursue them

Be thankful for what you have. It doesn’t mean you can’t acknowledge the bad in life, but it shouldn’t be your main focus.

I also find that if I start to adopt negative mindset or thinking patterns, that volunteering helps me. The act of being part of a community and adding value to others lives really improves how you feel about yourself and others.

Read positive music, books and avoid horror films, films with dark themes and music with explicit or destructive lyrics. Be extremely wary of what external influences you allow into your mind and consequentially into your life. For your thoughts determine your reality. We are all creators of our own destiny, and although negative and terrible things happen that we cannot control, we CAN control how we deal with them. Don’t allow yourself to be overcome by the circumstances or situations that you find yourself in.

See the bigger picture and remember the fleeting brevity of this roller coaster called life. That issue that is extremely important to you in this moment won’t matter a fraction as much in a couple of days, weeks, months or years and it’s likely that you could forget it completely.

Work out. Get those endorphins in your life. Seriously, exercise will make you feel so much better after, than when you first went in.

Appreciate that there’s something to learn from each situation. One of my favourite quotes to remember this is from Romans 8 verse 28. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”But more than that, we can choose to learn and to grow or we can choose to wallow in self pity, anger, bitterness and regret.

Reflect and take a moment out, to reflect. Often, feeling disconnected with yourself can lead to an onset of anxiety, so reset your mind. Anchor your thoughts and be conscious of what your inner voice is telling you.

We all have so much to live for. Your very presence is important and without you, this world would not be the same, no matter how insignificant you may feel at times. Each and every one of us has a choice to make an impact, no matter how big or small.

With the statistics on depression and negative mental health increasing, it’s been said that approximately one in five people will suffer with depression at one point in their life, in the UK. These statistics are alarmingly high and it’s such an important topic to address. It’s important to make every effort to keep hope, in the face of adversity and negative circumstances which is inevitably easier said than done.

Make a choice today to avoid negativity and not to tolerate it in your life. Equally, be sensitive and aware of those who are struggling. Support them in word and in deed and be alongside them in their sufferings. If you let your own light shine, it will shine to those around you and uplift them.

Would love to know your thoughts on this post and if you have any thoughts to the contrary or any suggestions.

Wise and very practical words (and a great blog, by the way!) This post made me realise how much I miss volunteering – I used to be involved in a church small group that focussed on helping people with interview techniques, getting their CV up to scratch etc. where I could use my HR knowledge. Doing that gave me lots of positive vibes as I felt very rewarded by doing that and seeing people get jobs as a result. Something to consider again!